I was thinking recently about the controversy surrounding the placing of a “cross” made of steel beams in front of the World Trade Center memorial and it occurred to me: Why, in the name of tolerance, cohabitation and fairness to all belief systems, haven’t we come up with a symbol to represent all humans, regardless of faith, that we can display even in the government sector? Instead of having to include either all symbols of faith or none at all, we could display this all-encompassing sign of unity and love. Wait! I know a sign like that! It is a symbol, representing all humans, that emphasizes secularism and cultural pluralism; completely representative of the values of the United States of America (sounds patriotic, too). The sign I would like to propose is, of course, the Happy Human associated with the philosophy of humanism. With this symbol, we could end this destructive conflict and rule the galaxy as father and son… I mean…we could avoid tedious lawsuits and controversies related to religion in the government sphere. We could honor the memories of everyone, no matter their faith. This could be one more step towards eliminating unneeded divisions among humans. It’s okay. You can say it. Genius!
Humanism is defined by dictionary.com as "any system or mode of thought or action in which human interests, values, and dignity predominate". I like this particular definition because it is broad enough to be all-encompassing. A symbol of humanity cannot be too narrow, or it will cease to incorporate all humans. The goal is to make life better for humankind. Human rights, equality, elimination of poverty and hunger, and the showing of mutual respect are of universal importance. Every human, no matter his or her special religious beliefs, can subscribe to such an ideal. The problem I have with organized religions is exactly that they establish norms and values that are too narrow; and therefore end up excluding people who have different opinions. There are some norms and values that just don't need to be dictated. Our society does not need any more divisions. We need universal value placed on solving real problems. Fighting to make an exclusive religious symbol the symbol of society is a step in the wrong direction.
Humanism is defined by dictionary.com as "any system or mode of thought or action in which human interests, values, and dignity predominate". I like this particular definition because it is broad enough to be all-encompassing. A symbol of humanity cannot be too narrow, or it will cease to incorporate all humans. The goal is to make life better for humankind. Human rights, equality, elimination of poverty and hunger, and the showing of mutual respect are of universal importance. Every human, no matter his or her special religious beliefs, can subscribe to such an ideal. The problem I have with organized religions is exactly that they establish norms and values that are too narrow; and therefore end up excluding people who have different opinions. There are some norms and values that just don't need to be dictated. Our society does not need any more divisions. We need universal value placed on solving real problems. Fighting to make an exclusive religious symbol the symbol of society is a step in the wrong direction.
